Dec 07, 2012 (LBO) - Sri Lanka's chief justice Shirani Bandaranayake has walked out of a parliamentary committee with her lawyers saying she had been denied due process, in the latest twist in a controversial impeachment process.

Sri Lanka's The Island newspaper quoted lawyer Romesh de Silva as saying that they had not been provided with witnesses against her and she had been subjected to verbal abuse by some members of a parliamentary select committee.

Sri Lanka's opposition which is also represented in the committee has said earlier that principles of natural justice is not followed in the committee.

Sri Lanka's Daily Mirror newspaper quoted opposition member Lakshman Kiriella as saying that up to yesterday no documents were given to the Chief Justice and her lawyers and no list of witnesses had been given and adequate time must be given to study the documents.

"This is not an impeachment but an inquisition," he was quoted as saying.

Earlier the Chief Justice had requested six weeks to reply to the charges contained in an impeachment motion as allowed to other accused in courts of law, which had been denied.

The select committee is itself set up by a standing order of parliament, and there had been objections that it was not a lawfully constituted tribunal.

Leaked reports showed that her lawyers had denied charges in an impeachment motion. An impeachment motion was launched against her after the Supreme Court gave decisions to pare down sections of a bill presented by the administration.